Indicator.



Ila- 850.027. PATENTED APR. 9, 1907.

M. J. LYNCH.

INDI-GA R.

ammnto'o mwm m 114297725 ssnnnTs snnml PATENTBD APR. 9, 1907.

M. J. LYNCH.

IN DIC'ATOB APPLIQATIONI'I B NOV.17, 1900.

vweutoc Q 111 m! ile/g UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 9, 1907;

Application filed November 17,1906. Serial No. 343,917.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MORRIS J. LYNCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ottawa, in the county of Franklin and State of Kansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Indicators, of which the. folowmg is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in indicators, and particularly to street and station indicators, although the device may be employed as a general advertising medium'.'

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient type of indicator or ad- IS vertising device provided with means for successively displayin' a series 'of signs, said means being electricalT ing associated therewith an alarm device operated each time a sign changes to call attention thereto, a further object being to rovide a device of this character designe to carry advertising matter and to secure a compulsory reading thereof through the action of the alarm mechanism tention to the indicator. 1

'In the accom anying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view 0 an indlcator embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical-front-torear section, taken centrally through the indic'ator-casing. Fig. 4 is 'a diagram of the electric circuit.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a suitable inclosing casin having an observation-opening. 2, close by a transparent panel 3, through which the traveling sign designed .to be viewed. The front 0 plates or leaves, hereinafter desoribedi, are

the casing-may be suitabl constructed for the application thereto 0 a permanent sign-- p ate 4 below the observation-o e'm'n'g 2,

which sign-plate 4 may carry a vertising matter of any referred character.

Arranged Within the casing at opposite sides thereof and su ported therefrom by brackets 5 are channe ed Iguides or tracks 6, each embodying'yertical out and rear portions 7 and 8 and inclinedtop and bottomportions 9 and 10. The rear vertical por tion 8 is of greater length thenthe front vertieal portion7, and the'upper ortion 9 inclmes downwardly and forwar y from the up erend of the rear. portion to the upper en of the front ortion,;while'tlie lower portion"10'inclines ownwardl "a continuous end of the y controlled and havin directing at and rear-weirdly from the lower end of the ont portion 7 the lower end of the rear portion 8, forming trapezoidal form. The upper end ofthe front portion 7 of each guide or track is offset to provide an enlargement 11 and a supporting shoulder or sto 1 2, and the upper portion of the rear end of the upper track-section 6 is similarly offset to provide an enlargement 13, arranged immediately above the upper end of the rear spring-guard 14 normally closes the upper I portion 8 and is free to permit of the upwar passage of the sign-plates and serves to prevent the same from again dropp' g down into said portion, as hereinafter described.

The names of the streets or stations or the other matter to be exposed are placed upon a plurality or series of or leaves 15, each of which is pivotally mounted at its upper end upon a transverse rod 16, the endsof the rods of the si n'leaves onplates being arranged to trave in the gm es or tracks 6. The leaves are desi nedv to travel by gravity down the 11 per inclined portion 8. A plate traveling sign plates section 6. of each track and to e held from movement by the shoulder 12 to support the plate in rear of the transparent panels 3,'so that the name of the station, street, or other matter carried thereby will be exposed throu h said sign-panel. After the si plate has been exposed for a suitable period the sup orting rod'is thrown out of'en a ement with the shoulders 12 and trave s y gravity down the front sections 7 of the tracks and thence down the bottom section's- 10 thereof to the lower ends of the vertical sections 8, whence it is lifted to the upper ends of the top sections 6 for a repetition of the traveling operation just descri ed. The

release of the sign-leavesfrom the supporting-shoulders 12 and theupward movement of the same at the rear of the tracks is accomplished through releasing and lift' devices IOC automatically operated byelectrica governing and motor mechanisms which I will now proceed to describe. I Journaledin bearings at the rear of the casing are upper and lower transverse shafts 17 and18, carrying at -their ends sprocketwheels 19, connected by s -r'o'cket-chains 20, which chaifls are provide at spaced. intervals with ro ec'tions 21, adapted to engage the ends 0 the rods 16 to lift the sign-plates u wardly through the rear vertical sections 8 or-the tracks. Upon the operation of -t e'ration.

chains the projections thereon arranged beneath the lower ends of the track-sections t; engage the ends of the rods 16 of the signplate 15, supported at the lower ends of said is arran ed a clockwork or other suitable motor 26, aving a driving spring 26*, on the shaft 27 of which motor is a gear 28, connected by a belt 29 with the shaft 24-, said belt passing around pulleys-29 and 29 on said shafts, whereby the latter is driven and communicates motion to the liftin -chains. The gear 28 is provided with a shoulder 30, adapted to be engaged by a vertically-sliding detent 31 to normally hold the motor from op- This detentis connected with one of the arms of a rocking lever 32, intermediately pivoted upon a bracket 33, the other arm of said lever being attached by a connecting-rod 34 with the rear arm of a sign-releasing lever 35, fulcrumed at 36 to the casing. The rocking lever 32 is arranged at the center of the casing and is connected by a bar 37 to the lower ends of the connectingrods 34, 'two of which are employed, one at each side of the casing. Two levers 85 are also employed and are similarly arranged and pivotally connected to the upper ends of the respective rods 34, the said levers 35 being designed to operate trip devices to release the ends of each sign-carrying rod from engagement with the shoulders 12 of the two tracks.

As shown, the front and rear ends of the levers 35 are arranged to swing in guides 38, and the front ends thereof are normally held downby springs 39, which operate to main tain the levers in a horizontal position. To the forward end ofeach lever 35 is pivotally connected the lower end of a trip device comprising .a-vertically-sliding block having its upper endarranged to engage and ift the adjacent end of the si ncarrying rod 16 out of V engagement with t e shoulder 12 and into the enlargement 11, so that the sign may travel downthe front sections 7 of eac track. The detent is formed with a verti-' cal slot41 engaging a guide-pin42 on the cas- V. ,ing-to adapt said detent to travel in a true vvertical path. When the rear arms of the levers 35 ,are'd'rawn downward, motion will be communicated to the rods 34 to withdraw the detent 31 from engagement with the shoulder 30, thus allowing the drive-wheel 23 to be actuated by the motor, so that the lifting-chains will be driven to elevate a signlate into the upper sections 6 of the track or travel to the front of the casing for exposure, while the simultaneous upwardlyswinging motion of the front arms of the levers35will lift the trips 40, which will disengage the sign which has been exposed to view through the panei 3 and permit the same to be dropped, so that the succeeding sign, which is being lifted as described, may travel down the track-sections 9 and be arrested by the shoulders 12 to be exposed to view. The sign-operating mechanism is intermittently actuated in this manner, so that the signplates will be consecutively brought to view and elevated for subsequent exposure during the cycles of operation of the apparatus.

The levers 35, which control the release of the signs and operation of the motor, are

electrically actuated, and to this end the rear are arranged within an electric circuit 47, fed by batteries 48, which are also preferably supported by said shelf. A hell or other alarm device 49 is also arranged in the circuit and supported upon the top of the casing 1, said bell being caused to sound when the circuit is energized and the mechanism operated to change the signs. A switch 50 of a suitable type is provided, whereby the electric circuit may be closed or energized to effeet the operation of the apparatus. This switch may be operated at timed intervals in any preferred 'manner.

It will be clear from the foregoing description-that each time the circuit is closed or energi zedthe levers 35 will be actuated by the electromagnets to release the sign-plate exposed to view and throw the motor into operation to feed the succeeding signlate forward for exposure and that when t e circuit is broken or denergized the parts will return to normal osition, stop the operation of the motor, an maintain the sign which has thus been fed up exposed through the panel 3 until the switch is again operated, whereupon such sign will he released and another sign Y set up for operation in the manner previous described. I

, The device may be em loyed as a street or station indicator upon e ectric' cars or railway-trains and the switch manipulated by r the conductor or one'of the crew or automatieallvoperated by suitable switch-shiftingmec anism. As automatic means for controlling the switch forms no art of the present invention, I have not eemed it necessary to show any type of device of this kind.

ICC

IIO

intor. At each operation the alarm-bell 49 will sound, thus audibly causing attention to practical the sign mfechanism and rendering reading of the sign-plates and other associated matter y com ulsory, whereby the value of the device is e anced.

- Having thus described the invention, what is claime as new is' 1. An, indicator of the character described comprising; an inclosing casing having anobservation-opening, a trackway therein hav-" 'ing a' vertical portion disposed adjacent said observation-opening, a rear vertical portion andupper and lower inclined portions coniiectingsaid front and rear portions, said trackway being provided with supporting means at the juncture of the front vertical and upper inclined portions thereof, a series of signs arranged to travel said trackway and to be held by said supporting means, said signs being adapted to travel by gravity along said inclined ortions, means for lifting the signs from the ower end of the lower inclined ortion to the upper end of the upper inclined portion of the trackway,a motorfor automatically operating said lifting means, and means for releasing the sign from said supporting means and setting the motor into operation.

2.. An indicator of the character described comprising an inclosing casing having a trac waytherein, signs arranged to trave by gravity along a portion of" the trackwaymperating mechanism for propelling the signs along; the remaining portion, a motor for actuating said operating mechanism, means for holding thesi ns, means for releasing the signs from the ho ding means, gieans for normally holding the motor out of operation, and electrical means for simultaneously actuating said sign-releasing means and throwing the motor into operation.

' 3. An indicator of, the character described com rising an inclosing casing having a trac rway therein, signs arranged to'travel by gravity along a portion of the trackway, op erating mechanism for propelling the signs along the remaining portion, a motor for actuat ing said actuating mechanism, means for holding the signs, means for releasing the signs from the holding means, means for normally holding the motorout of operation, an electric circuit having an electrical magnet therein} and means controlled bysaid magnet for simultaneously actuating said sign-releasing means and rendering said means for normally holding the motor out of operation inoperative.

4. An indicator of the character described com rising an inc'losing casing having a tree way therein provided with supporting means, signs adapted to travel by avity along a portion of said trackway and e suc-' cessively exposed for view by said su porting means, means embodying gearing a apted to engage and pro oi the signs along the remaining portion of t e trackway, a motor for operating said caring, a controllin device for normally hol ingithe motorout o o eration, a trip device for releasing the signs om said sup orting means, lever mechanism for simu taneously rejecting and retracting said controlling and trip devices, an electric circuit, an electromagnet therein, and an armature controlled by said electromagnet and operatively connected with said lever mechamsm. t t

5. An indicator of the character described comprising an inclosing casing having an observation-o emng, a trackway therein comsaid signs being adapted to travel by gravity along the vertical front and inclined portions of the trackway and adapted to have their supporting-rods rest upon said supportingshoulders, lifting mechanism arranged to engage the si and elevate them alongthe rear verti'ca portion of the trackway, a motor for operating-said mechanism, trip devices for'releasing the sign-rods from engagement with said supporting-shoulders, a detent for normally holding the. motor from operation, levers for simultaneously retracting the trip devices and d tent, an electric circuit, an electromagnet t erein, an. armature controlled by the magnet and connected with the levers; and means for returning the levers to normal position after operation by the magnet.

In testimo y whereof I affix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

MORRIS J. LYNOH. Witnesses:

CLYDE G. Sonnrvan, B. K. ELLINGER. 

